Articulated conveyer



Dec. 16, 1930. (E. M. AREN'IQ'ZEVN 1,785,402

ARTI CULATED CONVEYER Fil ed Dec. 26, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 N I I s kif. m

\ SEE I /a ATTORNEY Dec. 16, 1930. ARENTZEN 1,785,402

ARTICULATED CONVEYER Filed Dec. 26, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORATTORNEY Dec. 16, 1930. E. M. ARENTZEN ARTICULATED CONVEYER Filed Dec.26 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet; 5

S mQk ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I'NVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 16, 1930. E. M.ARENTZEN ARTICULATED CONVEYER Filed Dec. 26, 1928 l a conveyer having areceivin Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE EINAR-M.ARENTZEN, or FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNon 'ro JoYMANurAc TUBINGCOMPANY, or FRANKLIN, 'rnNNsYLvA IA, A CORPORATION or DELA- wARnARTIGULATED coNvEYEn.

This invention relates to a conveyer organization of the endless belttype, the frame of which comprises two longitudinally alined,articulated abutting sections one of which sections is adapted to havehorizontal, radial swing or adjustment relative to the other; thetraveling, material-actuating mechanism is of the endless chain andscraper type which is adapted to actuate material in continuous,uninterrupted movement over both sections of said conveyer.

The object of this invention is, to supply end or section, comprising astationary 'rame for the reception of material, goods or merchandise ofnearly any description and a delivery sec tion having a free end whichmaybe moved horizontally through an arc of at least 90 degrees in extentand deliver its load continuously along said arc or at any desired pointor points thereof. I

The construction whereby I am enabled to attainsaid object is clearlyillustrated in the drawings which constitute a portion of thisspecification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved conveyer in which the movablesection is shown as being flexed to the left.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said conveyer.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionof a portion of the receiving end of theframe. K

Fig. 4 is, a transverse section on line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the articulated, flexible area of the conveyer.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the adjacent end of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a central, longitudinal section of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the joint castings for the deck of the frame.

Fig. 9 is a central, longitudinal section of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10' is a plan view of the joint castings or hinge of the floor ofsaid frame.

Fig. 11. is a central, longitudinal section of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a plan view partly in section with other parts broken away ofan assembly unit of the conveyer chain.

showing the control valve in horizontal section.

Fig. 16 is an assemblyview of the fluid pump and. its control valveswhereby fluid uncllier pressure is delivered to the hydraulic ac s.

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the control valves shown in Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a horizontal section of the control valve for the verticaljack whereby the free or delivery end of the conveyer is raised andlowered.

The construction shown in said drawings is substantially as follows Theframe of the conveyer comprises two sections,namely, a rigid section 1which may be mounted upon any suitable stationary or movable support,and a horizontally swinging section 2. Each of said sections is a boxlike structure; said section 1 has a floor 3 and a deck 4 which areunited at their ed es by means of the side channels 5, 5; side anges 6,6 are also supplied. Section 2 comprises a floor 7 and a deck 8 whichdeck and floor are united at their lateral edges by means of the sidechannels 9, 9; side flanges 10, 10 are also supplied, all of saidmembers being structural steel elements.

Said sections 1 and 2 are united by means of articulations consisting ofthe two hinge structures shown in Figs. 8 and 9, 10 and 11 respectively.

The Fig. 8 structure is attached to the under side of and unites thedeck plates 4 and 8'; the base member 11 is secured to the deck plate 4and the wing member 12 is attached to the deck plate 8; the pivotalpoint and member of said two members 11 and 12 is indicated by theordinal 13.

' the wing member 15 is attached to floor plate 7 the pivotal point andmember of said Fig.

- 10 structure is indicated by the ordinal 16.

' Said tpivotal points 13 and 16 are accurately vertically as shownandindicated in grooved pulle sections, about which pass the actuating cabes whereby section 2 of the elevator frame is caused to swing radially;the junctional or abutting ends of the deck and floor plates 3 and 4 arelaterally widened to conform to the area that is swe t over by theflexible flan es 19 and 20 w en section 2 is caused to swlng laterallyto its respective limits of travel.

Said section 2 is actuated to its various positions of radial swing bymeans of the following described equipment and in the following manner:

Upon each side of said section 1 is mounted a hydraulic 'ack 21 and 22each of which is provided with a plunger 23, 24 respectively, also abreech 25, 26; a alloy 27 and 28 is mounted in the respective reaches;pulleys 29, 30 are also mounted in the outer end of the respectiveplungers 23 and 24; the breech blocks 25 and 26 are each provided with acable eye 31, 32 respectively, for the attachmentofthe respectiveactuating cables 33 34. One end of each cable 33, 34 is attached to theeye of its respective jack and from thence it is passed around theplunger pulley 29, 30, thence around the guide pulley 27, 28 of saidjack, thence around its respective pulley sector 18, 18 of the hingemember 12 and firmly secured to said member 12.

For the purpose of actuating said jacks a pump and fluid controlorganization is provided comprising the following members .which areshown especiall in Figs. 15 to 18.

A supply of fluid-pre erably oil -is carried in a tank or reservoir 35into which is connected the suction ipe 36 of any suitable pressure pump37. he discharge pipe of said )ump is referably divided into two brances 38 an 39; branch 38 leads to a control valve 40 whereby the fluid iscontrolled and selectively directed to and released from. From aninspection cither jack 21 or 22. of Fig. 15 it will be noted that saidvalve 40 is supplied with two outlet pipes one of which, 44, leads intojack 21, and the other pipe leads into jack 22. In said Fig. 15 the plug43 of said valve is shown as being set for the direction of fluidthrough theflexible pipe 44 into the jack cylinder 21, and for thedischarge of fluid from the jack cylinder 22 through the flexible pipe45 mto valve 40 and from thence into the by-pass pipe 46 whichcommunicates with the suction pipe 36 of the pump. By imparting to said.lug 43 substantially a quarter of a turn the uid.

directing conditions above set forth ma be relatively reversed as to thejacks 21 an 22, whereby the sweep of section 2 of the conveyer may becaused and determined both as to direction and extent, at will. Byplacing said plug 43 in a position intermediate the two positions justspecified, or so that the duct 46 will be in registry with duct 48, thepump 37 may operate continuously and the actuatedfluid Wlll be by-passedthrough the by-pass 46 and pipe 46 into the suction pipe 36.

A description of the valve 47 and its function will be presently given.

Referring now to the scraper chain which actuates material along thedecks -4 and 8, the members which make up an assembly unit of said chainare shown in the assembled relation in Fig. 12 and separately in Figs.13. and 14.

Said chain comprises a sprocket link 48 having laterally extendingarmsor scrapers 49, also a sprocket link 50 which does not have thescrapers; said links 48 and 50 are provided at each end and upon eachside with hooks 51, 51, for engagement with the eyes 52 of theconnecting plates 53: Said arms 49 have an over-all length which issubstantially equal to the Width between the flanges 6-6 or 10-10 of theconveyer, and they are pro vided at their outer extremities with aroller 54 which may contact with the inner, adjacent, vertical face ofthe respective flange at the side of the deck, and when the conveyer isin the flexed position at either side of the longitudinal center linesaid rollers upon the corresponding ends of scrapers 49 bear heavilyupon the inner face of the right hand flange 19 if the conveyer isflexed toward the right, or the inner face of the left hand flange 20 ifthe conveyer is flexed toward the left, as shown in Fig. 1. The flanges19 and 20 are, as previously stated, laterally flexible and are rigidlysecured to the flanges 6 at the points 55, but the other end of saidflanges 19 and 20 are provided at 56 with aslip joint for the-par ose ofproviding for the difference in lengt caused by the longer and shorterradii of the respective sides in various conditions of flexure.

The conveyer chain is driven by the sprocket 57 Fig. 3, which is keyedto the shaft 58; said shaft 58 is directly connected and driven'by theshaft 59 of the speed reducing unit 60; said unit 60 is driven by anelectric motor 61; the shaft of pump 37 is directly connected to theshaft of said motor.

As shown in Fig. 4 a plain roller or pulley 62 is provided at the freeend of the conveyer ably over which the conveyer chain travels; saidroller 62 is loosely, revolubly mounted upon a shaft 63 which is adaptedto have motion longitudinally of the frame 2- and in such a manner thatit may not only have a ,considerable degree of flexibility and movementresponsive to severe tension upon the conveyer chain, but may alsoautomatically act as a take-up whereby said chain may be kept.

taut in case of wear between the members of the links thereof. Saidflexibility and auto.- matic take-up action is secured in the followingmanner: a shaft 64 has an end which is reduced in diameter, and thisshaft is introduced through an adjusting screw 65 and through acompression spring 66 with its reduced end occupying an eye 67 in theouter.

- desired amount of pressure upon said shaft 67 and at the same timesaid shaft is yieldresponsive to undue tension upon the chain;

The receiving end of the conveyer is hung upon shaft 58, the outer endof which shaft is provided with an outboard bearing 69. A hydraulic jack70 also supports section 1 of said conveyer, whereby the free end ofsaid conveyer may be adjusted vertically.

The breech of said jack is provided with a fluid inlet 71, to which isattached a flexible pipe leading from the outlet 72 of the control valve47. This valve is shown in transverse section in Fig. 18 and from aninspection of said figure the operation of said valve will be readilyunderstood; its principle of operation is substantially the same as thatof valve 40.

Many modifications of most of the details described in the foregoingspecification may be made as desired, and as illustrations of suchmodifications, the conveyer chain may consist of links as 48 and plates53; .the jack 70 may ormay not be employed; a sector shaped rack and acooperating pinion provided with suitable manually operative means maybe substituted for the jacks 21 and 22. i

I claim the following 1. A conveyer organization employing aextendingflange positioned at each side of said decks and having a laterallyflexible portion extending over the area of articulation of saidsections, a conveyer adapted to travel over said decks longitudinallythereof and between said flanges for the conveyance of material, meansfor driving said conveyer and means for adjusting said adjustablesection; the deck of the other'section, at and adjacent the abutting endthereof, being widened so that its lateral edges are caused to extendbeyond the limit of sweep of said vertically extending, flexible flangeswhereby a plane surface is provided for the uninterrupted travel ofmaterial thereover when the conveyer is flexed.

2. A conveyer organization. of the endless chain and scraper typecomprising in combination a main frame for said conveyer consisting oftwo longitudinally-alined, articulated, abutting sections one of whichis adapted to have horizontal, radial adjustment relative to the othersection, means operable to caus'esuch adjustment, a deck for each ofsaid sections the adjacent abutting ends of which decks are so arrangedthat material may be moved uninterruptedly thereover, avertically-disposed flange for each side of said decks each of'saidflanges having a laterally flexible portion extending across thearticulated area of said sections, scrapers adapted to travel upon andthroughout the combined length of said decks to move material thereover,an endless chain connected and transmitting motion to said scrapers andmeans for driving said chain.

3. A conveyer organization having a conveyer means of the endless chainand scraper type and comprising in combination a main frame consistingessentially of two articulated, longitudinally-alined, abutting sectionsone of which is horizontally, radially adjustable relative to theadjacent abutting end of the other section, a deck for saidradiallya-djustable section, a deck for said other section, the form andrelative arrangement of the adjacent ends of said-decks being such thatmaterial may be moved uninterruptedly thereover at any position ofadjustment of said adjustable section, a vertically-extending flangepositioned at each side of said decks each provided with a laterallyflexible portion adjacent the area of articulation of said sections,scrapers arranged to travel upon said decks between said flanges for themovement of material, an endless chain connected to said scrapers andtransmitting movement thereto, means operative to drive said chain,

and means for effecting adjustment of said adjustable section.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my DISCLAIMER 1,785,402.Einar M.Arentz en, Franklin, Pa. ARTICYULAY'TED CoNvEYER. Patent dated December16, 1930. Disclanner filed October 29, 1938, by the assignee, JoyManufacturing Company.

Hereby enters this disclaimer to that part of the-claims in saidspecification which is the following words:

In claim 1, we disclaim a conveyer adapted to travel over said deckslongitudinally thereof and between said -flanges for the conveyance ofmaterial,

except where said conveyor comprises a single endless chain that extendsaround said decks so as to lie above and below the same in a planesubstantially vertical t ereto.

In claim 2, we disclaim an endless chain connected and transmittingmotion to said scrapers except where said chain extends around saiddecks so as to lie above and below the same in a plane substantiallyvertical thereto.

In claim 3, we disclaim V an endless chain connected to said scrapersand transmitting movement thereto,

except where said chain, extends around said decks so as to lie aboveand below the same in a plane substantially vertical thereto and wheresaid scrapers extend transversely of said decks into proximity with thevertically extending flanges on the upper side thereof.-

[Ofiicz'al Gazette November 22, 1.988.]

